Mount Mercer wind farm to power 100,000 homes

SCATTERED across more than 2600 hectares of prime farming land, the $260 million Mount Mercer Wind Farm is certainly an impressive sight.

Currently operating at half its capacity, with 32 of 64 turbines creating energy, the wind farm is expected to be firing on all cylinders by the middle of the year.

Pouring energy into a grid near Elaine, once complete the farm will generate enough renewable energy to power almost 100,000 homes – or the whole of Ballarat.

The Courier took a tour of the wind farm yesterday, alongside representatives of some of Ballarat’s largest organisations (and energy users).

Love them or hate them, the wind farm has certainly created some form of quiet beauty on Mt Mercer’s rolling paddocks.

Meridian Energy Australia chief executive officer, Ben Burge, describes each tower – soaring 126m into the sky and weighing more than 200 tonnes – as a feat of “engineering porn”.

Mr Burge added that most the energy created at Mt Mercer will be consumed in Ballarat.

“These wind turbines are a major asset to the community,” he said.

The wind farm occupies the farming land of seven land owners, and once complete will allow the owners to continue to farm their land.

Meridian Energy Australia assistant project manager Angus Holcombe said most of land was owned by sheep and cattle farmers, while an area to the south was owned by a commercial piggery, Western Plains Pork.

Mr Holcombe said land owners were first approached in 2003 before Meridian Energy Australia bought the development rights in 2009.